The Evolution of College Sports

College sports, particularly basketball, football, and other major programs, have become multi-billion-dollar industries. A combination of massive TV contracts, corporate sponsorships, and high stakes recruitment has driven college athletics into the spotlight, resulting in the commercialization of college sports that most fans wouldn’t recognize from the sport’s humble beginnings.

Whereas college sports once served as a stepping stone for student-athletes and a somewhat localized form of entertainment, they’ve now turned into global spectacles. The NCAA’s role, which was once seen as a governing body to protect amateurism, has come under scrutiny, especially as the financial ecosystem has grown so complex. Television rights, ticket sales, and merchandise are fueling a level of profit unimaginable just a few decades ago. This commercialization of college athletics has led to one central issue: the monetization of athletes, coaches, and programs in a way that has left some feeling like the very core values of college sports are being lost.

Kim Mulkey: A Case Study of the Unseen Struggles

When we look at coaches like Kim Mulkey, we see a remarkable example of someone who has poured decades into her craft. Mulkey is not a job hopper. Her career, especially her time at Baylor and now LSU, has been characterized by loyalty, determination, and exceptional coaching ability. But her journey has been anything but easy.

Kim Mulkey’s rise to prominence in women’s college basketball is a testament to her skill and perseverance. Mulkey was a star athlete before becoming a coach, and she was known for her fierce competitive spirit. Her coaching career began with small steps, ultimately leading her to the Baylor University program, where she built a championship-winning team. For years, she built her reputation not just as a winner, but as someone who genuinely understood the game and how to mentor players. It wasn’t until well after she had proven herself—after multiple championships and a legacy of success—that she was truly compensated as one of the best coaches in the game.

In fact, it wasn’t until 2021, when she accepted the job at LSU, that Mulkey’s salary reflected the reality of her accomplishments. Her move to LSU was not just about money—it was about a new challenge, an opportunity to build something fresh at a program with rich tradition but not necessarily the immediate elite status of Baylor. The financial reward, however, comes as part of the deal. And yet, Mulkey is still one of the rare few who stayed at one institution for a significant portion of her career before moving on, making her situation different from the general “job-hopper” label often applied to coaches in major college sports.

Mulkey’s career trajectory brings to light the issue of how coaches, even ones with decades of dedication to the game, often have to wait to be compensated at the level their accomplishments demand. The financial rewards that some coaches receive seem almost detached from the reality of their career struggles and years spent earning respect and success. She didn’t get a huge paycheck right out of the gate—she had to earn it. And many other coaches face the same challenge: they spend years proving themselves before they finally get to the pay they deserve.

The Broader Picture: The Commodification of Coaches and Athletes

While Mulkey’s example highlights the challenges faced by coaches, it also sheds light on the larger issue of the commodification of both athletes and coaches in college sports. Coaches are often paid millions of dollars, but so are athletes who, in some cases, may not even receive a fraction of the compensation they deserve. The recent changes to NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights have been a step in the right direction, but there are still questions about fairness, equity, and how to balance the interests of the athletes, the coaches, and the universities themselves.

Coaches at major programs are often under enormous pressure to win, and their salaries reflect the financial stakes involved. But despite their high salaries, many of them are still viewed as replaceable pieces in the machine that is modern college sports. The expectations placed on these coaches are astronomical. They are expected to recruit the best players, win national championships, build dynasties, and constantly innovate—all while handling the media scrutiny, pressure from alumni, and the politics that come with running a major program.

The reality is that many coaches feel trapped by this system. They’re expected to maintain excellence year after year, even in the face of ever-changing roster dynamics and evolving conference realignments. It’s a system that demands results with little room for failure, and the compensation doesn’t necessarily match the intense work and emotional toll required.

Moreover, the rise of huge coaching contracts creates an environment where the stakes for success are so high that failure is often met with swift repercussions. Coaches, particularly in big sports like football and basketball, are judged not just on their wins but on their ability to navigate a complex ecosystem of boosters, media demands, and corporate sponsorships. This often leads to burnout. Kim Mulkey, for example, has been in the game for decades and is clearly tired of the toll it takes on her mentally and physically, even as her career continues to be successful.

The Pressure Cooker: Burnout and Coaching Longevity

The issue of burnout is not isolated to coaches like Mulkey. Many high-profile college coaches face incredible amounts of stress. While they may be compensated handsomely, the demands placed on them are immense. The pressure to maintain elite status can lead to a higher turnover rate among coaches than in other professions. These positions are extremely taxing—not just because of the long hours spent in recruiting, practice sessions, and game preparation, but because of the emotional toll.

Coaching at the collegiate level today requires an almost obsessive level of commitment. Coaches are responsible for not just the athletic development of their players but also their personal growth, education, and mental health. It’s a balancing act that seems to be growing more complex by the year. Coaches like Mulkey have demonstrated time and again that they can thrive under these pressures, but there’s an undeniable reality that they’re often running on fumes.

As Mulkey herself has shown, even the most successful coaches can hit a point where they need to consider their mental and physical well-being. The world of college sports doesn’t always allow room for that—success is demanded, and failure is often viewed as an unforgivable sin.

The “Million-Dollar” Myth: Coaching Pay and the Public’s Perception

The notion that a coach “gets paid millions” and should therefore be impervious to the struggles of their job is a simplistic one. Yes, high-profile coaches like Mulkey and others may earn significant salaries, but that doesn’t mean they are free from the burden of the game. The public often views these coaches as simply well-compensated employees, but that ignores the complexity of their jobs and the toll it takes on their lives.

Coaching at a major university is more than just a job—it’s a lifestyle. The long hours, the constant media scrutiny, the pressure to win—it’s a grueling existence. When we look at coaches like Kim Mulkey, we should not simply view them as “million-dollar” employees. They are individuals who have dedicated their lives to their craft, who have built programs from the ground up, and who deal with a level of stress that most of us can’t begin to comprehend.

The idea that these coaches “get paid well” is often used as a way to diminish their struggles, but the reality is that their salaries are a reflection of the massive money-making machine that is modern college sports. They may be well compensated, but they’re also at the center of an industry that extracts every ounce of their talent, time, and energy.

 Addressing the Bigger Picture

The discussion around coaches like Kim Mulkey highlights a larger issue in the world of college sports: the commodification of both coaches and athletes. The financial stakes of college athletics have risen to such a degree that both coaches and players are now viewed more as assets than as human beings. While these coaches may be well compensated, the reality of their jobs is grueling, and the burnout that many experience should not be overlooked.

Kim Mulkey is not a job hopper—she has proven herself over decades in the game. And yet, even as someone who has earned her place among the elite, she faces the same pressures and challenges that affect all coaches in the modern era. The pressures of winning, recruiting, and navigating the complexities of college athletics leave little room for failure or personal growth.

As the world of college sports continues to evolve, it’s important for fans, administrators, and the public to recognize that coaching is not just a job but a way of life. Coaches like Kim Mulkey have dedicated themselves to their craft, and their struggles and triumphs should be understood within the context of the modern sports world—a world that places immense pressure on its leaders.

The next step is to find a way to preserve the integrity of college athletics while ensuring that coaches, athletes, and others involved are treated with the respect and understanding they deserve. Only then can we begin to address the deeper issues that have made the world of college sports, in many ways, unrecognizable from its original form.